


You Talked of Politics, Philosophy and I Smiled like Mona Lisa

by FandomsAreMyFuel



Category: Mamma Mia! (Movies)
Genre: 2 swear words and some nods that could be T rated, Brighterson, I will say this again: we need more fan fictions of this ship, M/M, Song: Last Summer (ABBA), Stuttering Harry Bright, because he does that when he likes someone, tell me if I should change it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:49:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26311429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomsAreMyFuel/pseuds/FandomsAreMyFuel
Summary: Bill Anderson took his ability to speak English and threw it in the ocean where dolphins swan and those creatures threw it around like a beach-ball, shoved it into the water as if interrogating a traitorous spy, and then slapped it on the head for good measure.
Relationships: Bill Anderson/Harry Bright, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sam Carmichael/Donna Sheridan, Sky Rymand/Sophie Sheridan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	You Talked of Politics, Philosophy and I Smiled like Mona Lisa

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if I get anything wrong or it's a bit OOC. I haven't watched the movies in a while.
> 
> Here's the song Last Summer by ABBA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm0jmNtJ-Lg

_ "The summer air was soft and warm... Did it's best to please us." _

Harry wasn't exactly multilingual. His English was of an English professor's, but anything with any other language, he was just not able to get his mouth to move properly. He could understand French very well, but whenever he went to speak it, he felt like a baby shouting out weird sounds in place of words. 

He was immensely grateful he spoke English that was a near-universal language and that said language he was very proficient at. Even on Kalokairi, he could speak English while listening to the Greecian words that were like music.

Unfortunately, his whole life's experience with the English language and being able to speak it as naturally as the wind blowing against his face was all thrown out when he first met Bill Anderson. Don't get him wrong, Harry was a bit nervous when doing things for the first time, but his ability to piece together sentences was usually not affected.

But Bill Anderson took that and threw it in the ocean where dolphins swan and those creatures threw it around like a beach-ball, shoved it into the water as if interrogating a traitorous spy, and then slapped it on the head for good measure.

"That... bastard..." Was all Harry muttered as he could  _ not _ find another word that he could call Bill Anderson. 

Thank the Greek gods that watched over him as before he could think about Bill even more, he had met the first and last women he fell in love with and had gained one-third of a daughter.

Donna was his opposite in many ways and yet he had fallen in love with her spirit and her energy that was all warmth and joy. In retrospect and the new-found knowledge of what had happened, Harry would've been the last person Donna would have spent her life with.

He was boring and... he was fine with it. 

On the other hand, Bill Anderson was all he wasn't; he was an adventure, excitement, and spontaneousness. Then again, he was a bit biased in how he saw Bill and so when Donna and Sam looked at each other with fond eyes that were the hint of rekindled feelings, he felt his heart slam into his chest.

His heart was more intelligent than he was. It had realized something before he could begin to think. "Oh god," He murmured as he made his way to the bar. When he was younger and his heart yearned for Donna, he had stuttered his way in conversation with her.

This realization bloomed from its seed coat and became a flower of petals made of "ohgod." In the faint distance, ABBA flowed through the speakers, and "Why Did it Have to Be Me?" was on.

"How fitting," Harry thought. And as if the universe hated him and loved coincidences that could fit in a rom-com, Bill strolled his way and ordered a drink. Harry was frozen as his hand tapped the glass' rim softly. 

"Harry?"

"Uh, Bill, h-hi," Harry was two seconds from just passing out in order to stop hearing his stupid voice not working with his brain.

"You should be out partying, it's almost our last day," Bill said as he grabbed his drink.

"I w-was... uh, just getting a drink."

"Same drink for half an hour?" Bill smiled.

"W-well, I-I was just... doing some... thinking," Harry looked down at his drink, took a sip, and realized it was boarding lukewarm. He couldn't help to wince.

Bill took it from his hand and called for the bartender to grab Harry a new one. "A lot of thinking, huh? You probably realized a lot these few days," Bill's warm tone was not missed by Harry who took a sip of his fresh drink.

"It's out of my, uh, c-comfort zone, it's bound to, uh, fuel some reveal somethings."

"I'm glad you got a chance to get out of your comfort zone... Harry?" Bill leaned over to gaze at the Englishman who was staring at his drink with furrowed eyebrows.

Harry shot up, "Uh, yes, well, it's... e-enlightening," Harry explained, his hand moving with his words. 

There was silence from Bill, who simply looked at Harry with an expression of concern written clearly in red pen. "Oh dear, he has very beautiful eyes," Was all Harry thought before his face became as red as that metaphorical pen.

"You know, when I heard you with Sophie, I was surprised at how well you got on with her and I completely ignored the fact you didn't stutter one bit." Harry blinked. As he tried to will his face back to its natural shade, he wondered what Bill was going on about.

Bill paused. "Then, when I asked Donna about you and Sam, she mentioned how you were always stuttering around her. I thought it was normal and then I heard you speaking to Tanya... and Sam and Rosie. I realized you might've been nervous but your stuttering had completely disappeared. Then when that night you told me how Donna had been the first and last woman you loved, I realized that you never stuttered even when you were with her."

By the end of Bill's words, Harry was still red and his eyes were wide. "I find it adorable, don't worry," Bill joked. 

"A-adorable?" Squeaked the Englishman. Bill stood up as he took the last sip from his drink.

"Why wouldn't I?" Bill smiled and took Harry's hand in his own. "I'm going to be on my boat, if you want, you can join me."

Harry didn't.

He knew that the fact he was alone with Bill Anderson on that famous boat of his would leave him closer to speaking all the languages mashed into one than to English. Instead, he ordered drink after drink and passed out on his bed.

When he woke up, the only thing he could remember was that he had a horrible hangover, today was the last day on Kalokairi, and that holy shit, Bill Anderson invited him to his boat. 

Of course, he didn't say anything except a "good afternoon," to the small group sitting around a table eating breakfast even though it was three, but Harry couldn't judge because he had just woken up and simply tossed on a fresh pair of trousers and a white dress shirt, and smoothed down his hair.

While Harry grabbed a glass of orange juice, everyone glanced at each other. As Harry brought the glass to his lips, Sam asked him, "Did you see Bill?" 

Harry sputtered and coughed. He thanked God he didn't actually have any juice in his mouth. 

Tanya and Rosie looked at each other. "Is he in your room?" asked both of them at once. Harry shook his head.

"He's on his boat," Harry said.

"A perfectly good bed and you sleep on your boat" Murmured Rosie and Donna softly slapped her shoulder a couple of times.

Tanya was heading somewhere else as she asked, "How do you know?"

"Oh, uh, he told me last night."

"Did he say, 'hey, Harry, heading off to my boat!' or did he invite you?" Harry wished he had started drinking his juice as he stared at the orange liquid. 

"Oh, shit!" He heard giggling as he snapped out of a trace. 

"It wasn't like that!" Harry scrambled for words as he finally felt the heat in his ears. "Oh, good grief, I'm going to go through all emotions today, aren't I?" He thought. "He just invited me to take a closer look!" He said as quickly as he could. 

"Oh, huh, looks like I didn't miss breakfast," Said a familiar voice. "Hey, Harry."

"Uh, hi, erm, Bill," Harry mumbled into his juice. He sat down next to Tanya and Sophie which was across to Bill as he ate which meant he sacrificed his back in order to stop looking at Bill's wonderous smile as he laughed.

His mother would've berated him for both things.

When he finished, he stretched and sorted his dishes. Before he could grab them, Bill gingerly grabbed his wrist and said, "I'll get them," Before taking them away. Harry could feel the warmth lingering behind.

"My offer still stands," Bill offered as they walked to the beach. 

With a smile from Donna and a thumbs up from Sophie, Harry made his way to Bill's boat that rocked gently against the waves of the ocean.

When Bill spotted him, he smiled and scooted over for Harry to sit and bathe in the sun's rays. After a long silence, Harry said, "I'm going to miss this."

"Me too," Bill admitted before he stared at the ocean and then he gazed at Harry.

"I'm going to miss you," Harry said without a beat. "I doubt I will believe all of this happened when I get home."

"Sophie changed our lives," Bill agreed. "I can't imagine not knowing her..." Bill paused, "I can't imagine not knowing you."

"I... y-yeah," Harry may have stuttered, but he was smiling, "I share your sentiments." 

Although the speakers and wild night was behind them and far away, Harry swore to the gods, as he and Bill spoke in joyful murmurs and laughed loudly, that there was a certain ABBA song playing in the distance.

_ "And you. You talked of politics, philosophy and I smiled like Mona Lisa. We had our chance. It was a fine and true romance." _

  
  
  



End file.
